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Old 06-23-2012, 08:09 PM   #26
Susan Littlefield
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Susan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsSusan Littlefield is so great that we've run out of appropriate compliments
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Originally Posted by evilrooster View Post
Could that be a regional-dialect difference? It sounds fairly ordinary to my British-English side.
You are right, it could be, and I didn't even think of that. Thank you.
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Old 06-23-2012, 08:45 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by evilrooster View Post
Could that be a regional-dialect difference? It sounds fairly ordinary to my British-English side.
That might be it. Canadian English is a cross-polination of American and British English philandering with the French. Also why I never recognised "Paddywagon" as a reference to the Irish, me thinks.
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Old 06-23-2012, 10:02 PM   #28
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evilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate compliments
All these dialects cross-pollinate in all kinds of weird ways. That's why British get their post from the Royal Mail, while Americans' mail is delivered by the Post Office.
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An extract from Bigglethwaite & Windemere's Manual of Proper and Exquisite English, regarding the Capitalisation of Heaveny Bodies:

1. Writers of steampunk novels, and of those set in alternate universes that branched from ours in the past, should always capitalise Sun, Moon, and Earth.

2. Writers whose works are influenced by early Robert A. Heinlein novels should capitalise Earth, but not sun. Sol may be used in dialogue, but must be capitalised and used in an offhand fashion. Moon should not be used at all in prose; the correct term in this body of literature is Luna.

3. Writers whose stories involve the Singlularity, nonhuman characters, or any political alliance extending across more than one solar system should not capitalise sun or moon. Earth should be replaced by Terra throughout.

Those writing in the present day should determine what kind of future they expect and adjust their capitalisation accordingly.

-- B&W 2:12
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Old 06-24-2012, 12:59 AM   #29
Xelebes
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Xelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate compliments
Canadians get it from Canada Post.
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Old 06-24-2012, 01:02 AM   #30
Jonathan Dalar
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Any question regarding this sort of singular/plural thing can easily be answered by deleting the prepositional phrase and seeing if it's correct.

If you have "a range are available" it's incorrect, as it would be "ranges are available".

Works every time.
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Old 06-24-2012, 01:14 AM   #31
Xelebes
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Xelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsXelebes is so great that we've run out of appropriate compliments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jonathan Dalar View Post
Any question regarding this sort of singular/plural thing can easily be answered by deleting the prepositional phrase and seeing if it's correct.

If you have "a range are available" it's incorrect, as it would be "ranges are available".

Works every time.
I think the rule is geography-specific. For the Brits, you cut out "A range of" and you will get it correct because you are talking about the light lunches and not the range. For Americans, you cut out the prepositional phrase to check for correctness.

I think that is the lesson in this thread.
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Old 06-24-2012, 01:26 AM   #32
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evilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsevilrooster is so great that we've run out of appropriate compliments
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xelebes View Post
I think the rule is geography-specific. For the Brits, you cut out "A range of" and you will get it correct because you are talking about the light lunches and not the range. For Americans, you cut out the prepositional phrase to check for correctness.

I think that is the lesson in this thread.
Forgive me, but that's not actually the case. Even in British English, range is a singular noun referring to the selection, and the prepositional phrase is the correct thing to cut out to check.

The difference between the cultures about "team" or "committee" as collective nouns is a side-issue. "Range" does not fall into that category.

In both American and British English, the correct phrasing is "A range of light lunches is available."
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An extract from Bigglethwaite & Windemere's Manual of Proper and Exquisite English, regarding the Capitalisation of Heaveny Bodies:

1. Writers of steampunk novels, and of those set in alternate universes that branched from ours in the past, should always capitalise Sun, Moon, and Earth.

2. Writers whose works are influenced by early Robert A. Heinlein novels should capitalise Earth, but not sun. Sol may be used in dialogue, but must be capitalised and used in an offhand fashion. Moon should not be used at all in prose; the correct term in this body of literature is Luna.

3. Writers whose stories involve the Singlularity, nonhuman characters, or any political alliance extending across more than one solar system should not capitalise sun or moon. Earth should be replaced by Terra throughout.

Those writing in the present day should determine what kind of future they expect and adjust their capitalisation accordingly.

-- B&W 2:12
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